


Alibi

by Fearfor1thing



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: Accidental Death, Angst, Friendship, Gen, Guilt, Trauma, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:22:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29236002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fearfor1thing/pseuds/Fearfor1thing
Summary: Right after covering up Mari's death, Sunny and Basil decide to go for a walk and wait out the inevitable discovery of her body.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 82





	Alibi

**Author's Note:**

> Alternatively, how two twelve year olds spend the afternoon after covering up accidental manslaughter.

_Red. Red. Red._

His hand shakes as he holds the crayon tighter. The once pristine white of the sketchbook page was now saturated with the vibrant color, while traces of black bled through from underneath. A shape drowns under the sea of red, unable to be fully seen, unable to reach the surface, unable to make a move, unable to take a breath- A pale hand wraps around his own, steadying it with a tight grip. His eyes trail away from the paper, but do not quite reach upwards.

"Sunny."

The sound of his name was quiet, airy, yet an unfamiliar weight bared down on the comforting tone. Sunny knew this voice, better than even his own. Hopes, dreams, fears, and angers, Sunny was privy to them all. He never liked to interrupt his friend, to speak of his own feelings and matters, so he would resolve only to listen. However, this was something different. A wholly strange type of pain enveloped his entire being, while a room of white encased his mind. He didn't want to stay quiet, not about this, but he just couldn't find the words.

"It's just like I told you, everything is going to be okay."

Slowly, the pale hand removed itself. Sunny felt his body lurch forward, as he was pulled into an embrace. He considered burying his face in the blond hair of his best friend, but instead stayed stiffly in place on the floor. He could hear Basil's heartbeat, though the erratic nature of the noise made him quickly realize that it was just his own. Basil, he must have noticed too, as he pulled back rather nervously.

"S-Sunny, p-please look at m-me."

There was something about the desperation in his quivering voice that was able to break through White Space. Blank dark eyes locked with a pair of shimmering blue. A look of relief flashed over Basil's face, framed by the pink tinge of sunburn and glisten of sweat. An outsider might have assumed that the young boy had spent the day outside gardening, a well known and favored hobby. Though, there's always a naive innocence found in those only looking in. 

"B-Basil," Sunny's voice was hoarse and unsure. "I-I..."

Basil shook his head, "No Sunny, it wasn't you. You're a good person. It was s-something behind you, something behind you that did it." Sunny cocked his head to the side. Something...behind him? Was there truly something hidden in the shadows at the top of the stairs? He felt his eyes widen. Was it still there?! 

"It's going to be okay," Basil was talking again, "We fixed it, together."

Fixed...that's not the first word Sunny would have called it, but Basil was right about one thing. They were in this together. Only they knew what truly happened that morning, and it would still be some time before anyone else came by and saw their handy work. Hanging in the backyard, swaying in the early autumn breeze, God, she was so cold when he-

"Maybe, we should go-f-for a walk, I mean."

Basil stood up slowly and held out his hand. Sunny stared at it with a new level of intensity. The usually pale skin of his palm was littered with clear areas of irritation. While the faint layer of dirt that was always present from Basil's time planting, was washed away in the kitchen sink. It didn't look familiar to him. Sunny felt the urge to ignore the gesture, but he knew he couldn't exactly pick himself up. Reluctantly, he took the offered hand.

***

The sunlight didn't seem quite as harsh as it had when they were in the backyard, an obvious sign that the day was passing. Sunny didn't quite know how to feel about the fact that time could so easily move on. Surely, the universe wasn't as cruel as to go on without her, able to continue forward while he was still firmly stuck in place. In his mind, away from his White Space, he was there, at the top of the stairs, watching out of the corner of his eye as the curtain billowed from the sudden gust of air, there wasn't even a scream-

"I think, maybe we should go to my house? I've got some new books we can read, and Grandma just went to the store, so we can make some sandwiches, o-or something. Does that sound okay, Sunny?"

Books, sandwiches, it all seemed like a regular afternoon. Just Sunny and Basil hanging out together. It would have sounded so nice, had the bile not been building up in the back of Sunny's throat. Still, he didn't say no. Basil gave a small smile as they walked down the block. When they came to a crosswalk, Basil started for the other side, while Sunny just stood there.

_"Always look both ways, little brother! You wouldn't want to get hit by a car, right?"_

Yeah, right. It would probably hurt really bad, like falling down the stairs, or landing on a broken violin-

Sunny felt himself being pulled forward, as a hand grabbed his own. He looked past his dark bangs, and noticed Basil had come back for him. Silently, they crossed the street. Basil let go once they reached the sidewalk, but stayed at Sunny's side. A few people noticed the boys and waved as they reached the next stretch of houses, but Sunny didn't feel like acknowledging the strangers. She was always far more polite than him, always returning a wave, pushing him into at least smiling back, she would then praise his efforts with a smile of her own, a warm smile that he would never receive again-

"Looks like Grandma's not home yet, so I guess we have the place to ourselves."

Sunny followed Basil inside, barely remembering to leave his shoes at the door. Basil's Grandma wouldn't appreciate him tracking outside filth across her floors. Basil made a move for the kitchen, probably to get started on the sandwiches he promised. Sunny considered helping, but the thought of food was the furthest thing from his mind. He doesn’t have to eat inside of White Space. He turned away from the kitchen, and began wandering towards the back of the house. Basil must have noticed where he was going, but didn't say anything other than his food would be waiting for him. A sandwich was waiting for him to come back, could they really do that? If sandwiches had the ability to wait, what other inanimate objects could be patient in knowing that he would eventually return to them. Could she still-

Sunny's hand hovered over the doorknob. The room at the end of the hallway was not the bathroom, yet he still found himself going inside. Basil's room was a lot like the other rooms of the house, full of plants. However, a few more items strewn about gave off more of a sense of personalization. A pile of new books was stacked on top of some old favorites, while a nearby shelf held Basil's beloved camera. So many moments of their lives were preserved from behind the flash, and it was strange that Basil had left it behind that morning. Then again, he was most likely just trying to save film for the recital tonight-

An open book bumped against Sunny's foot. Instinctively, he looked down, though he wished he hadn't. His hands shook, sweat greased his brows, and his eyes grew wider than he ever thought possibly. Sunny desperately wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but his lungs felt unable to take a deep enough breath. He remembered that picture, the day he had fallen asleep on the way home from school. Mari didn't think twice about carrying him the rest of the way, and nothing in the world made him feel more at peace then laying in her arms. Nothing could ever compare to how warm she always was, how safe she always made him feel, how much he loved her-

A black marker gleamed from a nearby desk, and Sunny knew what he had to do. He wanted to-no, NEEDED to forget! Not just her face, as he forever had a new mental image to represent her by, but his own face. That monster had no right to look so content when it was his fault that she was gone. All his fault. The marker squeaked against the film, blackening out both faces quite effectively. Sunny stopped and looked at his work, it was nearly impossible to tell who had once occupied the frame. However, there was still a whole album's worth of memories. He didn't stop at his own family, blacking out the faces of his friends just the same. How dare he look at them all so carefree, they don’t know what he's done to them! He didn't deserve to see them happy ever again. He killed their happiness. They'll never look at him the same way again, they shouldn't, not after everything he's done to them, to her. He deserves to be alone, like the monster he is. All alone in his White Space. 

"Sunny, are you in here?" Basil...Basil was here too. It was his room after all. Sunny didn't look up, but could hear the sound of a plate drop onto the floor.

"W-What happened to m-my p-photos?!" Sunny's eyes flicked to the uncapped marker still in his hand. He took a deep breath, but the confession died on his lips with Basil's next question.

"It was the Something again, wasn't it?" 

Basil didn't sound angry, nor did he seem to care as Sunny dropped the marker. The Something, it had followed them, followed HIM. Was it still behind him, ready to pounce on the next person Sunny cared about? Why wouldn't it just leave him alone?

"I-It's okay, Sunny. I know it wasn't you."

Basil joined him on the floor, picking up a few of the nearby loose photographs.

"We can just, put these away. We'll put them on the shelf, and now we have a secret! Just between you and me, Sunny. Don't worry, everything is going to be okay." 

Sunny felt himself nodding as he too reached for one of the stray pictures. He didn't bring himself to look at it too closely though. Basil slipped the album between a few other books on the shelf, seemingly unconcerned by it all. He helped Sunny to his feet, and then handed him a plate of cookies from the ground.

"I thought, maybe you might want some with lunch," Basil awkwardly smiled. "I already had some while I was waiting for you."

Sunny nodded again, following Basil back to the kitchen table. A nice looking sandwich was sitting there for him, and he placed the plate of cookies nearby.

"Sorry, it’s not as good as something Hero would make," Basil noted as he took a seat across from Sunny. "He always makes the best sandwiches."

That was something Sunny could agree with wholeheartedly. Though, even if it had been one of Hero's famous heroes, Sunny doubted he could stomach that any better. He stared at the food, noticing both the tomato and the turkey slices poking out from the side of the bread. He felt guilty for not eating, yet another sin against his friends to add to the pile. And what a mountain it had grown to in the span of only a day. Sunny held in a sigh, was this how life was go into be? Just him finding new ways to hurt the ones he cares the most about? That wasn’t much to look forward to. Then again, maybe he should be grateful that he’s even alive. Not that he should be, after what he did, it should have been him, it was his violin, it was his tantrum, it was all his fault-

Both boys perked up at the sound of sirens. Several emergency vehicles were passing by, sending a rainbow of lights through the windows. Sunny stiffened, while Basil was clearly trembling. They both knew exactly where the cars were headed. It was late now, and Sunny's parents would have returned home by now, eager to take both of their children to the concert hall for tonight’s recital. Basil and Sunny locked eyes.  
  
"M-Maybe, you should go h-home now." Basil was shaking like a leaf caught in an updraft, and he nearly toppled over when he left the table. "I'll w-walk with y-you, Sunny."

***

There were so many cars surrounding his street, let alone his house. Basil stood next to him, taking in the sight as well. The blond boy had grown far more tense the closer they drew to Sunny’s home, as if the true gravity of what they had done was finally beginning to sink in. This wasn’t just a broken vase, or even a smashed violin, and Basil was clearly starting to see that. They stopped at the edge of Kel's house. It seemed that no one from the family was currently there. That was good, as it gave them a little privacy, as well as a moment of reprieve from seeing their friends. Sunny wasn't exactly interested in seeing their reactions. He didn’t want to see the looks on his parents faces either. He could only imagine the raw, animalistic pain that must have echoed out into the world from what they experienced from finding her hanging in his once favorite tree. The initial interest in something swaying outside, the confusion at the sight, the horrible realization, the desperation as they cut her down, the-

"Sunny, you know we can’t tell anyone about what happened." Basil’s voice was serious, but Sunny could still hear the slight unstableness in his words. "They won’t-I mean, I know that it wasn’t you. You’re a good person, and my very best friend." 

Did he even deserve to be a best friend? Basil was certainly more than he deserved at least. He helped him so much, in more ways than Sunny could have ever expected or asked for. It was all Sunny’s fault, but it was all Basil's idea. 

"It was something behind you. The Something pushed Mari, and blackened my photos. Not you, it was never you." Basil gave him one last hug, whispering quietly in his ear. "Everything is going to be okay." 

Sunny didn’t know if he could fully believe that, however, he did trust his friend. He trusted his best friend more than anything else. He didn’t push Mari, he didn’t blacken the photos, and he shouldn’t think that he was capable of such evil. He's a good person. It was all something else, and everything was going to be okay.


End file.
